


worth it

by freedomatsea



Series: Hell's Kitchen Universe Pieces [16]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, on Frank's part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-27 00:31:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8380684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freedomatsea/pseuds/freedomatsea
Summary: Karen convinces Frank to partake in Halloween.





	

“Halloween’s for  _ kids _ , Karen.” Frank waved his head dismissively. “Last time I partook in that shit was for Frank Jr. and Lisa.” Even then, he recalled, he’d been pretty surly about the whole thing. He just didn’t get the appeal of dressing up and going out as someone else for  _ candy _ . Seemed like some shit to make people spend money for no good reason 

Karen crossed her arms across her chest, tapping the toe of her high heeled shoe impatiently. “But  _ children _ don’t exactly go to Josie’s. It’s just  _ one _ night, Frank. Can’t we just dress up, go get drunk, and come back here? It’s supposed to be fun.”

“ _ Or  _ we could just go to Josie’s on the 30th and ignore the rush.” Frank offered, stepping closer to Karen, letting his hands rest on her hips. He knew Karen wanted to do this, but the idea of being cooped up in a loud bar, with a shit-ton of people dressed up like  _ other _ people, didn’t really appeal to him at all. But making Karen happy...  _ that _ appealed to him. The things you do for people you give a shit about.

“That’s not the  _ same _ .” Karen’s hands dropped to where his were at her hips, peeling them away. “I even had our costumes figured out. I might have even purchased them already.” 

Frank arched a brow. “And what were they going to be?”

“You know that show I’ve gotten you hooked on?” Karen questioned, meeting his gaze. 

Frank knew  _ exactly _ what show she’d gotten him into. She tried  _ so _ many shows before they lit upon the perfect one. It could be realistic. He dealt with too much real shit every day to want cop procedurals or shooting zombies. 

“You’d make a  _ fantastic  _ Khal Drogo.” 

“You were going to be Daenerys?” Frank smirked a little at the thought. “We _ would _ make a good Drogo and Daenerys.” He rubbed his lips together, trying to imagine how Karen would look in one of those outfits she wore. Drapey fabric and plunging necklines. Maybe Halloween wasn’t so bad after all. “You have my attention.” 

Karen laughed at that, “Oh, I bet I do.” She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. “Thank you.” 

He sighed, holding her tightly. Frank still hated the entire premise of Halloween, but if it made Karen happy he was going to be completely on board for it. For  _ her _ .

* * *

Karen had only managed to drag Frank to Josie’s a handful of times. He had always been pretty leery about going places that he might be noticed. Frank Castle - the Punisher - was still laying low. He always kept a low profile: hat on, brim casting shadows over his face, and a hoodie pulled up over it.

But tonight… he felt more exposed than he had in his entire goddamn life. How the hell had Karen managed to convince him out of her apartment with something akin to a _ skirt _ on and only that? 

Karen, on the other hand, looked gorgeous. And she looked  _ happy _ \- which was why it was worth it in the end. Everyone was drunk and even though people kept coming up to them to compliment their costume choice - no one seemed to notice  _ who _ he was. 

A little black eye shadow around his eyes and blue stripes painted on his chest and no one knew they were complimenting Frank Castle on his Halloween costume. 

“You’re  _ so _ stiff. Lighten up.” Karen told him, squeezing his hand tightly as she led him to an empty table near the back of the bar. Most of the guests were near the front where they were doing Halloween bar trivia and playing dumbass games that struck him as something college students were more prone to play. Bobbing for apples? Like Hell he’d play that shit. He was too damn old for that.

“Trust me sweetheart,” Frank started with a completely straight face. “I’ve been  _ stiff _ since you put that dress on.” The words fell easily off of his tongue and he owed it all to the vodka shots they’d taken at the bar.

“Frank!” Karen laughed, swatting his arm as she pulled up her chair next to him. “That was terrible.” 

“Ah, but you loved it.” Frank retorted with a self-satisfied grin, drumming his fingers against the table. “Have you fulfilled your Halloween desires?”

Karen shook her head. “Not quite.” 

“Oh?” Frank arched a curious brow. “And what are you still looking to do?” 

“Dance.” 

“Karen…” Frank groaned, shaking his head in protest. “We’ve been through this before. I’ve got two left feet.” He wasn’t drunk enough for that, but he had a feeling before the night was through she’d have him out there dancing. Because that was Karen for him. She pushed him out of his comfort zone and he let her. She made him want to live when everything else in his head said it didn’t matter. 

“I’ll make you  _ really _ good breakfast tomorrow.” Karen suggested, tilting her head to the side in a very convincing manner, her lip puckering out a little. Dman her. She knew exactly how to play him. 

“I want bacon  _ and  _ sausage.” Frank haggled. There was every chance he was gonna have a hangover from hell tomorrow - he wasn’t a young man anymore - and grease was his friend in those cases. 

“Sold.” Karen grinned, shifting a little closer to him, as much as her chair would allow. A little discomfort was with it when Karen lit up like that. It was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen. A bright spot in a dark, shitty, world. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Frank said with a chuckle, rising from his chair and grabbing her hand. The sooner they got the dancing over with, the sooner he got to retreat back to her apartment, where it was nice and quiet. 

* * *

It was worth it. Halloween. Costumes. Josie’s. It was all worth it to go back to her apartment, collapse into bed, and have her curl in close to him. It was worth it to fall asleep with his nose buried in her hair and her arms curled around him. It was worth it to enjoy little moments like this. Every day brought all of this closer to an end and it was worth it to enjoy the things she loved, when he hated them. Because in the end, he  _ knew _ he’d go first. There was no way he could escape the path he’d set for himself and that was okay. He’d accepted death a long time ago, before all that shit ever came to pass. 

All of this was worth it because when he was gone, she’d have  _ good _ memories to remember him by. Vodka shots, Halloween costumes, and slow dancing to  _ Tear You Apart _ (which Karen knew all the words too). He was already a dead man on borrowed time, but he was giving Karen Page memories to live on with. Because she  _ would _ live if he died making that so. It would be worth it. Karen Page was worth it. 


End file.
